Americans Kidnapped in Mexico, FBI Offering Massive Reward

As the Mexican drugs cartels continue to gain power and prominence south of the border, a terrifying recent incident has the FBI getting involved in an extraordinary way.

Just across the border from Texas, a group of traveling Americans appears to have been violently kidnapped.

Special Agent Oliver Rich, who is in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Division, announced Sunday that the bureau is seeking public assistance to locate four U.S. citizens who were last seen in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas.

They have been missing since Friday, March 3.

That day, “four Americans crossed into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico driving a white minivan with North Carolina license plates. Shortly after crossing into Mexico, unidentified gunmen fired upon the passengers in the vehicle. All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the FBI said in a statement.

As for the reason for the incident, the area is notorious for troubling activity.

Matamoros is notorious for warring factions of the Gulf drug cartel, and violence on Friday was so bad that the U.S. Consulate issued an alert.

In order to hopefully expedite a favorable resolution, the FBI is offering a reward of $50,000 for information that can bring these Americans home and hold their assailants responsible.